Rudolfinum, Prague, Guia do visitante e o que fazer por perto

The Rudolfinum is a neo-Renaissance concert hall and art gallery on the right bank of the Vltava in Prague's Old Town. It is home to the Czech Philharmonic and one of the city's most distinguished music venues, and its riverside facade is lined with statues of composers and artists.

The story behind it

The building was designed by Josef Zítek and Josef Schulz and completed in the 1880s. It was named after Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria-Hungary. It was conceived as a house for music and the visual arts, and it still serves both: concerts in the main hall and exhibitions in the gallery. In 1896 Antonín Dvořák conducted the first concert of the Czech Philharmonic here. He began as a boy playing violin in his father's inn, and a statue of him now stands in front of the building.

The Rudolfinum is also tied to a well-known wartime tale. During the Nazi occupation, the story goes, an order came to remove the statue of Felix Mendelssohn from the balustrade because he was of Jewish descent. The workers supposedly did not know his face and took down the statue of Richard Wagner instead, a composer the regime admired. Historians treat this as a legend rather than proven fact, but it is a good story to have in mind when you look up at the roofline.

What to look for

• The row of statues along the roof balustrade, each representing a composer or artist, which are the stage for the Mendelssohn and Wagner tale.
• The statue of Antonín Dvořák in front of the building, with the Rudolfinum rising behind it.
• The red and cream neo-Renaissance facade, with its arcades and ornamental stonework facing the river.
• The view across the Vltava toward Prague Castle, which is best from the embankment beside the building.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 15 to 20 minutes to see the exterior and the square, or longer if you attend a concert or visit the gallery.
• You can go inside for concerts and exhibitions, so check current opening hours and the programme before you go.
• Late afternoon gives soft light on the facade and a pleasant walk along the river.
• It sits close to the Old Town Square, Charles Bridge and the Jewish Quarter, so it fits easily into a longer walk.

See it on a quest

On Prague Old Town: Alchemy and Dark Arts you reach the Rudolfinum on foot as one stop of a longer route through the area. The app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. It is paid, and one ticket covers the whole group.

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Old Town, Prague is a good choice if you like a mystery theme with your sightseeing. You walk between the stops, hear the story of each place from the app, and work out a puzzle in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

The Lost Gold of Prague takes you through the streets around the river with a treasure-hunt theme. You get to the Rudolfinum on foot, learn about it from the app, and solve a puzzle at the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.